Friday, November 21, 2008

Off to New Orleans


Krista is stomping around the French Quarter today. She's visiting NOLA with her friend Amy the poet who was runner up in the Faulkner Award for poetry.
They're staying with a friend of Amy's and attending posh receptions and readings in swanky hotels. Actually, Krista is attending some of them but also touring solo.
We spoke early this morning and she said it's bitter cold there today, balmy yesterday. She's been to several voodoo shops--some cheesy tourist traps and then the real authentic one (which had a beautiful altar to Erzulie).
Krista said the city reminds her of a cross between Chiang Mai and Haight Ashbury. Sort of gritty and crumbling and funky, but way cool. And way different from your average US town. Which made me happy. If you're going to the trouble to visit someplace, it should be a little exotic, don't you think?
As a reward for winning runner up, Amy gets to sit down with a major book publisher and pitch a book. She's chosen to pitch The Painted Tongue Flowers, her collaboration with Krista.
I'm not a huge poetry fan (sorry to admit that) but when I read Amy's poems--each one inspired by one of Krista's paintings, they knocked my socks off. I still can't find my socks and I'd love to see that book get picked up for national distribution.
But even if it doesn't, Krista is in the final stages of self-publishing it on Lulu.com and it should be available to purchase on-line very soon.
Meanwhile, Krista is off on another adventure. Send her some warm thoughts for a cold cold day.

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